Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-28
DON'T.
Unless You have All the Money You
Want, and that Fortune, Stay
Away from CALIFORNIA;
Something About a Wind which Makes
Man Wish He Gould Die
or Get Away.
Paris, TEX, October q, lsS,.

"what l know about California" I cheer
fully comply, the more especially becsus
In doing so may hope to deter some o
our well-to-do farmers and others from
taking step which they would, yer!
probably, have occasion to regret 10 aftel
years. Having lived six years 10 Cali
fornia, three in the northern and three IL
the southern part OF the state, enjoyed
to say the least, good opportunity TO!
forming a correct estimate, both as TO the
climate and the varied productions of the
stete.a
That there are excellent small tracts o!
land II the northern division of the state
in NsBa and in the Sacramento valleys
and n other smaller valleys no one &C
qnGsEted with this fact will venture &c
EdenY. Let it not be supposed. however,
that any very considerable portion of the
| Sacramento valley can be ranked as val
liable lands. Much of it is alksli, and
much of the remainder is very poor adobe
land. But it is idle to think of purchas-
ing the rich lands in any desirable local
! ity in this portion Of the
state except st such figures
as would render the trade
very Improbable TO the purchaser.
Besides, it is worth while to know that
even the fertile spots have lost much OF
their wheat producing properties in the
past twenty years; the average yield per
acre beng much less than formerly. And
yet this, in my judgment, is far the best
part of California. Wheat, shall state,
il thu only profitable crop raised by large
planters.
Going south, you strike the San
Joaquin valley, q beautiful tract of land
about $50 miles in length by from
thirty to sixty in breadth. In some parts
Of this valley, where there is plenty of
water fer irrigating purposes, there are
prosperous farmers; but the valley, taken
as whole, could not better describe, in
business sense, than to Say that it is the
crest financial gOlg0tha OF California.
Very many people from "the ole states"
have bought lsnd in this fatal valley and
have made the first payment on 1t; but
the number is small that have made the
after payments. While q resident in
EsGsiff6rnis, don't think that this valley
averaged more than two crops IN FIVE,
and no farmer can pay for land and make
decent living On 40 per cent. Of his
earnings.
If 8gorly capitalists and spectators
werai1duced 10 purchase these decep-
tive kcree, it would not make go much
-daTeftpce; but, that honest farmers, de-
pendent upon their labor for the support
OK thsr families, should be inveigled iato
purchseing lands that the vendors
knowt&ilI yield them no support, is little
better than robbery. 1t would be i1Ger-
esting IS An1w to how many different
purchasers, each paying certsiu amount
kdoxgn, this Inflated land has been SOLD
A much more eff Give matter it would be
20 trace the history Of most of the tanai-
lies that, reduced to utter poverty, Here
forced to hunt some little place cut lathe
foothills or mountains where they might
easM scsnty subsistence. q
LOS ANGELES COUNTY. ~
lived neatly three years IN this cousty
which, on many accounts, regard es TIE
best Of the counties in this part Of the
state. Here the climate for ten moths
in the year Will average as good the
best day in Texas. Count fran twenty
TO thirty days for WING and rk5E@s forms
-Azvshe most delightful because theszass&s
Rseful days CT the yesr. Then set apart
sfrom twenty to thirty days Of "desert
wh5dn-ceft4Iply the NEST unpleasant,
disagceeGble And destructive winds that
sweep over any portion OF North Amer
ics. During these days it IS impossible
to enjoy 0nytEihg like physicist pleasure.
Man and beast aed the vegetable Kingdom
alike utter theins pons6necue protest
against such wind. hSve known these
RindEt to continue six days ats time, with
thsrth erIngMeter ranging from l00e TO
'-aBsoIGtely burning up the growing
corn and cooking the ripeniDg wheat. On
the second dsy Of this terrible wind,
enc feels chat be hiss lived s. little TOO
long; from the third to the last cay (if it
be six Days wind, the feeling is about
this: "Weil, if live through this spell
OF weather will try to provide so as
never to endure another" So when you
come to make the general average the
climate does not rsnk so high as in some
other places. At least, so think.
Near the coast persons with consump-
tion or with pulmonary tendencies can
not safely reside. The winds and fogs
are too cold and piercing. Such persons
would be much better suited in San
Bernardino county, locality more
remote from the ocean, and better pro-
tected against the coast winds and fogs;
bat here the heat at times Is more OPP
pressive. One thing wish to record in
favor of every portion of the state and
that is, that there one never feels any
such thing as lassitude.
{ What about moving TO California?
Well, il you have plenty of money and
don't care to make any more l think you
would enjoy living there. Il you have
nothing to do but to look after your own
comfort and pleasure 1 am sure you could
spend much Of your time there. You will
there find some few very wealthy people;
.asa you could succeed in forming an
alliance with some OF these on the basis
OF pleasure seeking 1 do not see
Why you might not enjoy as much
in California, snd especially il
Southern California, es in any
statein the Union. But ifyou are poor
sxea and wish to make money by purch-
tsing land and improving 8 home, feel
sure that you had better go to any other
state or territory in our government. If
you have g few thousand dollars and wish
to speculate with 1t, l am confident
tlat you could do better, IN this line, in
aaV other part of our country.
5 Upon Whist is this opinion BASED? Upon
the facts IN the case. What do they pro-
pose TO grow On these nigh priced lands?
1t won't do to try to raise wheat, corn, or
ordinary vegetables on it; for you could
not work such lands and pay per cent.
rent on the cost price. VIII you raise
deeiduous fruit? These, on the average,
grow much better in Texas than in Cali